Red lorry, green lorry

In August, we launched a brand new fleet of Big Red lorries as part of a wider programme of improvements to our operations. In true Virgin style, our new lorries have a funky design and are really going to stand out on the motorway.

But the most striking thing about our new fleet is that six of the eight lorries will have a sleek, aerodynamic design. Called 'teardrop trailers', these streamlined trucks minimise turbulence, reduce drag and lower fuel consumption. In fact, we expect to save 10%-20% in fuel with the new lorries, and that's something we're really proud of! We asked Maurice Daw, Executive Director - Access, to help tell the story of our new aerodynamic fleet in this short film. Maurice looks after all our operations and supply chain logistics at Virgin Media and roped in a few friends at the Big Red Shed in Wellingborough to help him out.

Why does the teardrop shape improve aerodynamics? If a liquid droplet is placed on a flat surface and passed through the air, it will naturally form a reverse-teardrop shape as the air moulds it and the forces acting on each surface reach equilibrium. Similar to an aerofoil, the positive-teardrop is an excellent aerodynamic shape, now commonly seen in the automotive industry and often used in sports equipment.

To find out how we're saving around a quarter of a million miles a year, through improvements to our logistics, click here.